The present invention relates to mechanisms for wrapping cylindrical bales of agricultural crops formed in the chambers of large round balers with twine, and, in particular, relates to mechanisms for securing loose ends of twine to the crop bales while in the bale chamber by pressing the twine into the bale.
It is conventional to wrap cylindrical bales with twine in order to prevent the baled crop from falling apart after being ejected from the baling chamber. These known wrapping devices merely wrap twine onto the circumference of the bale so that, after the twine wrapped on the bale is severed from a supply of twine, the end of the twine is not fastened and lies loosely upon the bale surface. Therefore, depending on the direction of rotation of the bale after it is ejected from the baling chamber, it is possible that the end of the twine will become unwrapped from the bale, with the consequence that the bale falls apart and/or the loose end of the twine interferes with further handling of the bale. U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,249, granted on Dec. 27, 1988 discloses a typical wrapping device of this type.
DE-A-41 32 664 reveals a round baler having a wrapping device like that just described but further includes a sprocket mounted in a slot provided in the side wall of the baling chamber and having teeth, at least one of which is grooved for engaging twine guided into its path of rotation and embedding the engaged twine into the end of the bale as the sprocket is being rotated by the rotating bale. Thus, the twine is sewn into the end face of the bale in order to prevent loose ends of the twine from falling out. This structure has the drawback that it is difficult to introduce the twine into the sprocket at the end faces of the bale.